


Eloquence

by Silver_Malaza



Series: The Gleeful Show of Wonders [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reverse Falls, Dark, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Magic, Manipulation, Mystery Twins-centered, Rating will probably go up, Tent of Telepathy, There will be happiness as well I promise, different point of views
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-03 16:21:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16329443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver_Malaza/pseuds/Silver_Malaza
Summary: A strange town harbouring incomprehensible secrets.A tent filled with illusions so real one might say it's magic.A curious girl determined to uncover the unexplained.A kind-hearted boy joining her in her quest.And a set of mysterious twins standing at the heart of it all.Welcome to Reverse Falls, where you'll witness the show of a lifetime.





	1. Come On In

_Come and visit us tonight,_

 

_In the place where all mysteries reside._

 

_Join us to behold the wonders we share_

 

_And soon you'll find there's something more there_

 

_Hidden behind the fantastical lies._

 

_Don't let our illusions fool your eyes._

 

_When you walk past us feel free to come in._

 

_Take your seat and we'll let the show begin._


	2. Prologue part 1: A Gleeful Beginning

_Have you ever heard of Reverse Falls? It’s a small town located in a valley in eastern Oregon, surrounded by dark woods and filled with occurrences most would assume are just fairy tales. But if you are not afraid of a little mystery and magic, go look for it. I can assure you that it will be an experience you will never forget in your life. Well, that is probably because this town_

‘Dipper, stop writing in that book and help me with this dress.’

The boy briefly glanced up from his work, paying the girl only a second of attention before his eyes directed themselves to the clock behind her. It was almost their turn to enter the stage. Time had passed much quicker than he had expected, probably due to his mind wandering off to places further away than the dressing room he was currently sitting in.

Sighing, he got up from the uncomfortable position he had somehow managed to get himself in and walked over to his twin. She turned around and pulled her long hair out of the way. The boy always wondered how she managed to keep it smooth and untangled, but he suspected it had something to do with the azure amulet on her headband. Out of habit, he glanced down to his chest, where a similar amulet attached a flowing black cape to his outfit. As if to respond to his attention, it glowed softly, though he could have imagined that.

He felt how his sister started fidgeting, growing impatient. Quickly zipping up her dress and turning her around, he smiled briefly at her. It was an almost unnoticeable smile, but she caught it and smiled back, a little brighter and perhaps also a little more mischievous. Then, Mabel Gleeful took a step back and walked to the mirror on the other side of the room, applying some last-minute makeup. ‘Oh, right, Stan said we’ll need to add some acts, or the public will get bored.’

Her brother’s expression shifted to annoyance. ‘We can’t just think of acts out of nowhere.’

‘Then look in the journal.’

‘Mabel, some of those spells take ages to actually fully control. Literally anything can happen if we use them without practice.’

‘Don’t be such a pain, Dipper. I’m sure the audience can handle a little danger.’ She turned her head slightly so he could catch the excitement in her eyes. It was not the normal kind of happy-go-lucky excitement: something more sinister had threaded itself in her expression that only people who knew her well enough would notice. The boy did not mind, though, aware that his expressions were probably laced with the same shadow as his twin’s. He shrugged.

‘Well, I just wanted to warn you, seeing as you seem to enjoy yourself up there. Would be a shame if no more guests decided to show up.’

‘But then you’d help me out, wouldn’t you, little brother?’ Her eyes grew mischievous again, enjoying teasing her brother, for she knew his answer already.

‘You know there are plenty of other ways we can achieve our goals. Do you seriously think I will extend a hand to help out this circus?’

‘Sure, there are plenty of other roads we can walk, but this one is the most _inconspicuous_. So sure, if you want to go snooping around while attracting _way_ too much attention, be my guest. Just don’t expect me to bail you out if you’re arrested for trespassing.’

‘You are such a joy kill.’

Mabel stuck out her tongue and turned to the mirror again. They spent a few minutes in silence, Dipper returning to his chair and picking up the notebook and pen he had been holding before his sister had barged in. Quickly, he finished the paragraph he had written on the first page. Once he was content with his introduction he closed the book, storing it away in the dresser on his side of the room. With a few muttered words, the lock on the dress closed itself. Dipper knew this would not be enough to keep it safe from all prying eyes, but hopefully most. Everyone kept their secrets, after all. They had come to a silent agreement to not press the other one if they decided to keep something hidden.

At that moment, the door swung open and crashed into the wall, disturbing the silence. The twins looked up, not the least bit surprised to find their great uncle standing in the door opening. His shiny suit reflected the disco lights in the dressing room -- something Mabel had wanted to include when designing the place -- and somehow made him seem even more of a con man than he was. He breathed heavily, having run from the stage to the twins’ room in less than ten seconds. It did not take long for him to catch his breath, all the while being watched by the two teenagers. When he was able to stand straight again, he tapped his golden watch. Their great uncle was always one to splurge money on useless accessories when he had the chance.

‘You need to get up there in two minutes, kids.’ He announced, pointing behind him in the general direction of the stage. ‘We are fully booked again, so put on a good show. Have you thought about new acts already?’

‘Yeah,’ Dipper answered calmly, almost bored. ‘We were thinking about using you as our assistant, actually. There are some transportation spells I’d like to try out and on stage seems like the perfect moment.’ He did not react to the little snicker coming from behind him. Joking was not one of his strongest points, but that was why Mabel liked it when he did.

‘That’s right. Oh, and I also read something interesting we can try with Will,’ she added.

At the mention of his name, a small, floating, azure triangle appeared from behind Stan. He seemed on the verge of tears, not something that was uncommon to him. ‘What were you thinking of, Master Mabel?’ His voice was just as shaky as his single eye seemed to express. The tall top hat above his upper corner bended down to match his mood.

Mabel snickered again and walked to the door, followed by her brother. ‘Guess you’ll just have to wait and see, Will,’ she teased with a devilish smile and tapped him lightly on his “head”.

‘Don’t bully the demon, Mabel,’ her brother lectured her, though there seemed no actual bite to his words: it was just the usual statement he felt he needed to make to seem like the kinder twin. ‘It must already be pretty rough for him to be at your mercy. Bullying him is just plain mean.’

His sister shrugged and smiled, though Dipper could not see her. ‘I guess I’m just that kind of person, huh.’

‘You sure are.’

‘But you _love_ me for it.’

‘Yeah, never met a lovelier sister before.’

They kept insulting each other playfully as they left the dressing room, not even paying attention to Stan and the demon anymore. Both followed them silently. Once they reached backstage, Stan spoke up again.

‘Now, don’t go endangering the lives of the audience. They love you and you need to keep it that way. Besides, the amount of money we earn with this is enormous.’

‘Yeah, yeah,’ Mabel laughed, ‘we get it. Keep the people happy and _we_ will be happy.’

‘Right,’ Dipper muttered in an annoyed voice. His sister was more of a showman -- show woman -- than he was, always had been. Though he agreed that this was indeed one of the best ways to reach their goals, that did not mean he stopped expressing his unwillingness to enter the stage.

‘Good luck, masters,’ a small voice sounded. Mabel turned to the little triangle and smiled, almost completely genuine. ‘Thank you, Will. We’ll do our bests.’ Dipper just nodded, not saying anything else, mind occupied by what was to come.

‘Break a leg, kiddo’s,’ Stan snickered and pushed both of them to the stage.

An ominous shadow fell over his face, only to be replaced by the mask he had worked to keep his emotions hidden. Smiling, Dipper followed after his sister.

Time to put this show on the road.

 

_Have you ever heard of Reverse Falls? It’s a small town located in a valley in eastern Oregon, surrounded by dark woods and filled with occurrences most would assume are just fairy tales. But if you are not afraid of a little mystery and magic, go look for it. I can assure you that it will be an experience you will never forget in your life. Well, that is probably because this town will be the last stage for your life. So, welcome to Reverse Falls, the town where gravity seems to flow backwards. The town where your dreams and nightmares come alive. The town where demons may be your friends and saints may be your downfall. But do not be afraid, for I can assure that whatever you will find will be worth it. Welcome to Reverse Falls._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is a little short, but that's necessary for the story layout I have in mind. I really hope it sounds appealing so far, though. I immediately dove a little into the darkness that will be present throughout the entire story, but I promise there will be a lot of more light-hearted moments as well.  
> I also did not really check it for errors because I just wanted to post a chapter, so if you find any please: do tell.  
> Anyways, I'll try to post the other parts of the Prologue soon!


	3. Prologue part 2: Enter the Stage

In the forest surrounding Reverse Falls, there was a shabby building. At first glance, it looked like it could collapse at any minute -- at second glance as well, by the way -- but luckily for its occupants that was not yet the case. The letters on the large wooden board on top of its roof spelled out MYSTERY SHAC -- the K having falling off a long time ago -- and that was exactly what it was: a shack. The mystery-part was more debatable, seeing as the displays were not exactly the realest of anomalies one could find, but it was real enough for the gullible tourists that visited just to get their minds tricked.

The shack’s front door squeaked upon opening and the wooden flooring almost gave way with the sudden weight of the boy walking out of the building. He looked back and waved at the people still inside, almost falling off the stairs in the process.

‘Bye, Soos, Wendy! See you tomorrow!’

The door closed behind him and he made his way to the end of the lawn, where he saw the red car already waiting for him. Slowing his step, the small boy tried to extend the time away from his parents for as long as possible. He was not exactly thrilled to discover why they had gone through the trouble to pick him up at his part-time job: that could only mean his father had thought of plans that would involve him. Otherwise they would have found great joy in letting him walk the entire road back to their home, which took him around an hour. He actually did not mind that much, for then he would have an extra hour of peace before the usual routine at home began. Sadly, _now_ he would _not_ have this opportunity. With a defeated sigh he trudged to the car and opened the backseat door, only looking up to glance at his father’s face through the front mirror when he was fully seated and had closed the door again.

‘We are going to the Tent of Telepathy tonight.’

No greeting, no eye contact. The usual.

‘Why?’ he dared to ask, earning him an angry glance from his mother. His father did not like to be interrupted, even if he was not saying anything. Gideon knew he was supposed to keep his mouth shut. His confidence had lifted a little after starting his job at the Mystery Shack, having met some wonderful people there, but if you start at ground level it takes a lot of time before you rise enough to be strong. He shifted nervously in his seat, looking away from the piercing glances directed towards him.

‘It’s one of the famous attractions of Reverse Falls,’ his father answered monotonously. ‘If it is really as good as everyone says it is, we are going to cut them a deal. If they advertise our business I will get them famous across the world.’

Gideon Pines doubted the car business was superior over the Gleeful Show of Wonders, but knew better than to go against it. He still had not heard how he played a part in his father’s plans, though. The question almost escaped his mouth, but he called the words back just in time. One question had been enough for the evening. Unconsciously, he scratched his arms and changed positions to stop sitting on the sore spot on his leg.

The rest of the car-ride he stayed silent, listening to his father boasting to his mother about the different clients he had encountered -- and tricked into paying too much for a wreck of a car -- today. Just when he was in the middle of telling a story about a guy that truly believed the car his father tried to sell him was haunted, they heard the loud honking of a horn.

‘Bud! Look out!’

His father hit the brakes immediately and Gideon was glad the seatbelts in this car were not as weak as in the cars his parents sold. The belt cut in his chest, but at least he was still alive and had not bumped into the front seat.

Once he had recovered from the sudden stop, he looked up. A van had appeared on their right, probably having stopped as quickly as they had. Luckily, it had not led to an accident, but his father was still furious and on the verge of getting out of the car and marching up to the driver in the van. He would probably insult him in numerous ways and then demand a compensation for having sustained no damage at all.

Just as he was about to do that, the van set in motion again and drove past them. It was too dark to make out the driver, but he lowered the window and cheerfully shouted an apology at them. Before any one of the Pines could react, he had already continued his journey and disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Gideon wondered who they were, not recognizing the van. It was too late for the usual tourists to arrive. If they were new here he would meet them sooner or later, he guessed.

With his object of attention gone, Gideon’s father furiously started complaining about the careless drivers here in town to no one in particular, his wife wholeheartedly agreeing. While doing so, he started the engine again and resumed their way to Reverse Falls. No further attention was given to Gideon other than a comment about how he better not end up being as much of a disappointment as that driver was.

Just the usual day for Gideon Pines.

 

\----------------------------------------

 

‘Wow, you really need to look where you’re going, Preston.’

‘Great, we _just_ entered the town and we already almost died.’

‘Come on, Pazzie, where is your sense of adventure?’

‘My sense of adventure does not include a car crash.’ The girl tried to sound sarcastic, but she could not hide the underlying amusement at how unfazed her parents were. This is what she loved about them.

Their near-death experience certainly had been a unique welcome to the town. As long as she could remember, her family moved around from town to town, discovering the world in the process. A few days ago, they had packed up their stuff again and made their way across Oregon in search of a new temporary place to stay. When her parents drove past a poster advertising some show in a town called Reverse Falls, they proposed going there and at least spending one night.

It was dark by the time they arrived, so the girl was unable to get a full impression of the town they entered. She loved this life -- especially since she got to spend it with her wonderful family -- but sometimes they ended up in weird places. Like that one time where her father somehow figured it was a good idea to camp near a huge lake, only to find it gone the next morning. Just… gone. All the water had evaporated, leaving a hole in the ground with things at the bottom that she rather not identify. Nonetheless, it was fun and she learned a lot about nature during their travels.

Well, she would wait until the morning arrived to see what kind of place she had been dragged along to this time. Wherever it was, she was sure something interesting would happen. Even the most boring place could become an adventure for her. Resting her head against the car window, she looked outside to the shadowy forest they were passing, wondering what she would find here. Slowly, her eyelids started to grow heavy, her brain tuning out the upbeat voices of her parents and allowing her to drift off to sleep, patiently waiting for what the morning would bring her. New places to discover, new people to meet, and maybe even an exciting adventure.

Or perhaps many, many adventures.

Because with all actors having entered the stage, it was finally time for the first act.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let the show begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the prologue is finished. Now the real show can finally being!


	4. Parode part 1: A Phe-gnome-enal Encounter

It was early morning when the cheerful rays of the rising sun made their way into the van, slowly waking the three people resting peacefully after a long night of travelling. It had taken another hour after the Southeasts' arrival in Reverse Falls before they found a good place to stay -- near the edge of the forest -- and it was well past midnight before the van had been converted back to its original camper layout. Exhausted, the small family had dropped themselves on the beds without even changing into their pajamas, sleeping peacefully through the night. 

But now they were awake, not yet fully rested but having enough energy to last the day. Humming cheerfully, Priscilla Southeast set the table, aided by her daughter, while her husband looked through the small cabinets to find something edible. ‘We really need to go grocery shopping today,’ he announced, emerging from the camper with little more than a few slices of bread and some cream cheese. Pacifica and her mother had already taken their seats.

‘I think we passed by a mall yesterday night,’ her mother replied and took the bread, preparing breakfast. She handed one slice to everyone and then continued. ‘We could also use some new clothing. Pacifica has been wearing that blue hoodie for who knows how long.’

‘Hey, I also have other clothes,’ the girl shot in defense. ‘I just like this one best. It’s super comfortable and warm.’

‘Well, that doesn’t take away that we could all use some extra. Besides, it’s the middle of summer, a hoodie will eventually become too hot even for you.’

Preston snickered and playfully nudged his daughter, swallowing his bread. ‘Just say yes, Paz. Best not deny your mother the fun of shopping.’

The blonde shrugged, but a smile crept along her lips. ‘Well, okay, I won’t argue. When do you want to go to the mall?’ 

‘I think somewhere this afternoon. We still have to arrange some things with the owner of this land. It seems like a nice place, so your father and I thought we could stay here a few weeks. We do not have any other place to be right now, after all.’

Pacifica nodded and then directed her attention to her surroundings. The forest was only a few meters away and the girl itched to enter it. She had always felt a connection with nature, her parents valuing it more than anything, which seemed to have rubbed off on her. Well, she was glad it had, for she would do anything to keep the Earth’s natural beauty in her life. Lately, however, the Southeast family had mostly explored urban areas and Pacifica missed the peace and quiet of the countryside. This was a golden opportunity to spend as much time as possible surrounded by plants and animals not living in the busyness of the city. 

They soon finished breakfast and it only took the girl a few minutes to clean up and grab her backpack with a water bottle and her phone. After having promised her parents she would be careful, she almost ran to the edge of the forest, remembering to slow down before she accidentally tripped. With a skip in her step she made her way into the outstretching mass of trees. 

The Reverse Falls Forest was a rather calm place, she noticed after having walked around for some time. Although there was the occasional rustle of leaves and the everlasting songs of numerous birds, Pacifica had not come across a single animal yet. She wondered whether that was normal, recalling vividly how she had encountered many different species during her past walks through the different forests the family came across. Maybe it was still too early for the forest’s inhabitants to come out. 

Despite the lack of wildlife, she felt content here. No large crowds all focused on their own lives, no loud cars emitting the suffocating smog that got stuck between looming skyscrapers. Don’t get her wrong: Pacifica did not mind cities nor did she particularly care for quietness, but if she had a choice, nature would always go first. 

She would have loved to just stay here forever. It was like she could feel something magical laced in the trees around her. Absentmindedly, she extended her hand to touch the trunk of a particularly big tree, imagining finally coming in touch with the roughness of nature again.

Only, that roughness was absent. Confused, Pacifica snapped out of her dreamlike trance and stopped next to the tree. Once again, she stroked over the bark of the oaktree. Its surface was cold and smooth underneath her palm, lacking the little bulges she should have felt. Confused, the girl knocked on the trunk, still secretly expecting the muffled sound of wood. Instead, it produced a hollow, metallic sound, disrupting the quietness Pacifica had spent the past hour in. It startled her, but not just because of its loudness. Because why,  _ why _ would there be a metallic, fake tree in the middle of an otherwise completely normal forest?

Luckily for the curious spectators, Pacifica Southeast was just as curious. She would get to the bottom of this, her sense of adventure immediately surfacing. There was a reason she liked to explore the forest alone: somehow she always attracted anomalies whenever there was no one else distracting her.

The girl stepped closer to the tree and walked around it to see if there was anything else that seemed out of place except for the tree’s weird surface. Soon, she noticed a small rectangular opening on the other side, a little below her waist. Hoping to uncover some great secret, she carefully slid her fingers in the opening, soon finding it to lead to something akin to a little door. With a lot of effort, she was able to wiggle her fingers a bit underneath the door, pulling it open. The rusty groan escaping the hinges indicated it had not been opened for years, fueling her curiosity of what was inside the tree. 

It was a book.

A very dusty, old, leather-bound book.

Dumbfounded, the girl stared at the opening in front of her. Why would anyone want to hide a book in the middle of a forest? In an artificial tree, no less. She stretched out her hands, careful to avoid as many of the cobwebs as possible, and removed the book from its hiding place. The cover was dull and mostly covered in a large layer of dirt, but she could see the golden, six-fingered hand on the cover. A neatly written “3” in the middle of the hand. What on earth had she come across?

This was certainly one of the most interesting discoveries she had made so far. Eager to learn more, she opened the cover and looked at the first page. Part of the thick paper had been torn, resulting in an incomplete “ _ Property of _ ”. Still not having learned anything of interest, Pacifica turned the page again. The next one was filled with more text, swirling letters and strange inscriptions covering the paper.

 

_ June 18 _

_ It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly six years since I began researching the strange and wondrous secrets of Reverse Falls, Oregon. In those years, I discovered so many curious things that I can ascertain that Reverse Falls is one of the most prominent geographical oddities in existence. I have already filled two journals with my research on the town, and I am certain this journal will not be the last. I merely scratched the surface, leaving room for so many more secrets closer to the core of this mysterious town.  _

_ Because the biggest question yet remains to be answered: WHY?? Why is it that this one remote location houses more paranormal, alter-average and super-usual phenomena than any other location of Earth? There must be some hidden law of nature that is the answer to this question, but I have yet to find it. I will not stop my research until I have discovered everything there is to uncover about this town. _

 

Pacifica was not sure what she thought about the curious diary-like entry. She kept wondering whether the author was sane when writing all the entries she read while flipping through the pages. Floating eyeballs, Gnomes, Leprecorns, Gremloblins… It all seemed too fantastical to be a part of this sleeping town her family just happened to pass by while searching for a place to sleep. Even the welcome sign of Reverse Falls announced there was “nothing to see here”. 

Then again, the author must have truly believed their “research” to be true. Why else would they have hidden the journal so well, not to be found until who knows how many years later? 

Whether this was just the product of someone’s delusions or a real journal, it did not matter. It was certainly interesting enough for her to stuff it into her bag to take a better look at it later. While putting the journal away her eyes fell on her watch. Noon. She should head back to the camper. Sighing, Pacifica closed the cabinet in the tree again and made her way to the edge of the forest, the added weight of the thick journal slowing her travels, almost like it did not want her to leave the forest behind.

 

\----------------------------------------

 

‘Aw, that dress looks so cute on you, Pazzie,’ her mother cooed when Pacifica left the changing room for the umpteenth time that day. She was wearing a flowery summer dress, something her mother loved. She, on the other hand, tended to lean towards the more boyish clothing, but just going along with her mother’s wishes right now would cause this trip to the mall to end sooner. It was not that she  _ disliked _ shopping -- the opposite actually -- but right now her mind was occupied with other things, like that old journal she was still carrying in her bag. 

Luckily, it did not take long for her mother to decide they were finished trying on clothing for Pacifica, moving on to her father’s appearance. This seemed like the perfect opportunity. ‘Mom, I’m going to take a look around town while you and dad are busy, okay?’ she asked before her mom would be too distracted again. Priscilla turned to her and smiled, telling her it was fine as long as she returned when they called her. The blonde left as soon as that was out of the way, walking out of the mall to look for a quiet place to read.

The town of Reverse Falls was not remarkable in the slightest. There were both older and newer buildings, standing along roads with holes and scratches in them from the long time they had not been maintained. Stray animals roamed the streets and was that a pig with a bowtie on the corner of the street?

Still, it was a lively town. Some kids were playing ball on the side of the road, laughing and shouting at each other, completely submerged in their small world of childlike happiness. A few adults were gossiping loudly about some unrequited love between two local reporters, the woman telling the story gesturing wildly with her arms, voice growing louder as she approached the climax. And a bit further down the road Pacifica spotted a bunch of teenagers creating some kind of artwork -- it looked a bit like a muffin -- with graffiti.

The girl relished in the serene atmosphere surrounding the town that seemed to be stuck in time. If the choice was hers, she would always stay in these kind of places. It was incredible what an effect such tranquility could have on --

‘Watch out!’

Having been too occupied with the town in general, Pacifica had failed to notice the fast approaching boy in front of her. Before the girl could process the scene, the boy collided with her, sending them both falling to the pavement.

He immediately shot up again, jumping to his feet and extending a hand to help the girl. ‘I am so sorry!’ he exclaimed, bewildered and a little out of breath. ‘I was chasing after this little man and did not notice you standing there. I am  _ so  _ so sorry!’

Pacifica took his hand and he pulled her up. The boy was smaller than her, still possessing some of the chubbiness that most kids have. Tufts of platinum hair were visible from underneath his blue-and-white hat with a pentagram on the front. Contrary to what his preteenly appearance may have someone believe, she still guessed he was only a little looked down at him and smiled reassuringly. ‘It’s okay, don’t worry about it.’ Some of the tension in the boy’s posture disappeared while he sighed in relief. ‘Why were you chasing someone, by the way?’ she continued, looking around to see who he might have meant, but there was no one in sight that seemed in a hurry.

At her question, the boy seemed to snap out of his relief, immediately getting worried again. ‘Oh, right! I just left the grocery store when these little men appeared out of nowhere and snatched my bags. They were really weird, too. Like, barely big enough to reach my knees. And they had these long, pointy hats. Anyways, I got to go and find them now. I’m sorry for crashing into you. Bye!’ 

He wanted to run away, probably hoping he would still find his assailants even after having taken the time to explain the entire situation to her, thus giving them plenty of time to get away, but she grabbed his arm to stop him. Something in his story had conjured an image of one of the journal pages, the boy’s description fitting a drawing she had seen. ‘I may be able to help you,’ she explained to the boy when he looked at her in confusion. 

Pacifica lowered her bag and took out her journal, paging through it until she found what she was searching for. The boy looked at the book, fascination shimmering in his eyes. ‘What is this?’ he asked curiously. 

‘I found it in the woods earlier. It has information on all kinds of weird creatures. Look, doesn’t he resemble that little man?’ The blonde pointed to the drawing on the page, then turned to the boy standing next to her. His eyes widened in recognition. 

‘Yes! He looked a lot like this… gnome?’ His gaze darted to the word written above the drawing. He looked sceptical. ‘Er, I don’t think there are something like gnomes in this town.’

‘Well, only one way to find out, right?’ Pacifica boomed enthusiastically, feeling the excitement crawling up again, pushing away her earlier reservations regarding the credibility of the book. ‘According to this journal, gnomes live in the forest. So, seeing as we are probably not going to find them by just running around the town blindly, we might as well believe this journal for now and look in their “habitat”.’ She did not await his answer, already walking in the direction the boy had been going while chasing the gnome.

The boy hesitated a moment longer, but sighed and caught up to her. They walked in silence for about a minute before he opened his mouth again. ‘So… who are you again? I haven’t seen you in town before, I think?’

She shook her head and smiled. ‘I’m Pacifica Southeast. Me and my parents arrived yesterday in our camper. We are something like tourists, I guess.’

‘A camper…?’ he seemed deep in thought for a minute, then his eyes lit up. ‘Oh.  _ Oh _ ! You’re from that van we almost collided with yesterday evening!’

Pacifica’s eyes grew big. ‘ _ You _ were in that car? Wow, I am so,  _ so _ sorry for that. My father is a little reckless when it comes to driving. The car did not get damaged or anything, I hope?’

The boy shook his head and shrugged. ‘Nah, you didn’t even leave a scratch. It’s fine, really, just gave us a scare.’

‘I’m glad to hear that,’ the girl chuckled uneasily. What a coincidence to run in one of the people they could have landed in the hospital. She reminded herself to apologize to the boy’s parents on her father's behalf if she ran into them. 

‘So, you actually decided to visit Reverse Falls?’ the boy quirked an eyebrow, snapping her out of her thoughts. ‘This is seriously the least thrilling town you could have chosen. Really, the only remotely interesting thing is the Mystery Shack, and even there everything they display is fake. Oh, I’m Gideon Pines, by the way,’ he added almost as an afterthought. 

Pacifica chuckled and looked at the sky. They had entered the forest and the town’s noises were slowly being replaced by nature’s melodies. She liked it. ‘Well, we are not here for the attractions. Well, I guess we kinda are because we saw a poster, but my family just really likes to travel, so we constantly go to new places. And to be honest: I enjoy it here. There’s a lot of nature and the townsfolk seem happy. It’s really different from the cities.’

‘Well, I guess that’s true,’ Gideon Pines contemplated. ‘In that case: welcome to Reverse Falls, Pacifica.’ He smiled happily and extended his arms in a welcoming gesture. ‘If you need a guide, I can always show you around after we have resolved this… gnome-thing.’

‘Thanks, Gideon,’ the blonde reflected his smile in her own. She did not get the chance to say anything else, for at that moment they entered a clearing and immediately got distracted by what they saw.

Little bearded men, five in total, carrying large grocery bags in their little arms. They were no bigger than fifteen inches, all wearing the same light blue shirts and red hats, conversing to each other about where to hide the food from their fellow gnomes.

Well, guess the journal was credible enough.

‘Eh, Pacifica,’ Gideon tucked her sleeve, ‘what do we do now?’

Instead of answering him, she called out to the gnomes. ‘Hey imps!’ The men turned around, apparently only having noticed the two teenagers behind them now, for they gasped in surprise. ‘Give those bags back!’ the girl continued. ‘Stealing is very wrong, you know.’

The youngest gnome, whose beard had not yet turned grey, took a step in her direction and held his hands up defensively. ‘Hey, hey, don’t go accusing us of anything. We were seriously starving out there and happened to find these delicious pies. Not our fault they were being held by that boy.’

‘Seriously?’ Pacifica exclaimed. ‘That’s the lamest excuse I have heard in quite a while. Just give back the food and we’re done here. I’m sure you can find plenty in the forest.’

‘It’s not the same. Do you know how delicious those jam tarts are? That’s not something you can just find walking around here.’

While Pacifica acknowledged that to be true, she was having a hard time suppressing the tendency to facepalm. 

‘Then learn how to bake your own pies and tarts,’ Gideon suddenly spoke up, taking a step in the direction of the other four gnomes, who were slowly backing deeper into the forest. ‘Just give mine back. My dad’s going to kill me if I return empty-handed because “some gnomes stole the groceries”.’ Yeah, Pacifica had to admit no one would believe that.

Unfortunately, the four seemed to realize they were being approached, causing them to suddenly speed up. The youngest gnome also turned around and ran after his fellow thieves. 

‘Hey! Come back!’ Gideon shouted and ran after them. It took Pacifica a few seconds to chase the group, losing them out of sight. Luckily, they made enough noise for her to follow behind. This was certainly not how she expected her first visit to the town to go. She guessed she kind of asked for it, hoping for adventures and all. 

Speaking of adventures, maybe the journal could shed some light on what to do about these pesky little men. She slung her backpack off her shoulder and -- almost tripping over several roots -- she managed to take out the book. 

Just as she found the right page, she caught up with Gideon, abruptly stopping in her tracks. Dumbfounded, she stared at the scene before her. Two scared, wide eyes were staring back at her, embedded in a round face and… hanging upside down.

It seemed that while chasing the gnomes, Gideon had run into some kind of hunter’s trap and was now dangling upside down from a long rope strung around his ankle. Whether this was what the gnomes had planned or not, they seemed all too happy to rub the boy’s defeat in his face, dancing around him like they were performing some kind of ritual, waving the pastries and pie they had taken from his grocery bags in his face. The youngest gnome -- the leader, Pacifica now presumed -- was standing about a meter away from the strange scene, smiling smugly. 

Luckily, the gnome had yet to notice her. Slowly, the girl lay down the open journal in the grass, therefor leaving both her hands free to catch their little problem. One foot at a time, she stepped forward, trying her best not to make a single sound. Gideon, who had been on the verge of calling out for her, had closed his mouth and kept staring in suspense. The girl wanted to make clear he should not look at her as to direct attention away, but the older gnomes seemed too occupied with their victory anyway to realize their prey had stopped struggling.

Two more steps.

One more step.

With the speed and precision of an eagle, Pacifica bridged the remaining distance and swooped the gnome from the ground, keeping him locked in her arms. The gnome had cried out at the sudden attack, causing his little friends to turn around.

'Free my friend and I'll let this guy go,' Pacifica announced before anyone could open their mouths. The brown-bearded gnome squirmed in her arms, but that only caused her to tighten her grip.

'C'mon!' he cried out. 'We were only messing with ya! No sense of humour?' He made choking noises as Pacifica once again increased the strength she put in her hold. 'Okay, okay,' he squeaked. 'Just free that boy, guys. No playing with these two.'

Pacifica watched as the four remaining gnomes skilfully climbed the tree to the branch Gideon's leash had been attached to. As they pulled on the knot, the platinum-haired boy slowly slid down, looking relieved he was being freed, only realizing what would happen when the knot untangled.

With a soft thumb, the sound numbed by the grass, Gideon crashed to the ground.

It was difficult not to laugh at the boy's distressed face as he jumped up, face glowing red and balling his little hands to fists. As she brought a hand up to cover her chuckles, the younger gnome took his chance and kicked her in the stomach. As she doubled over in pain, he made his way to his companions.

Gideon rushed to the girl's side, kneeling down and inquiring if she was doing okay. Pacifica assured him the pain was already fading, but she suspected the little sting of the gnome's pointy boot would keep hurting for at least another day. Meanwhile, the gnome laughed evilly, though it was more of the comical than the terrifying kind. Both teens looked at him, waiting for what he would say.

'Well, you're a feisty one, aren't you?' the gnome exclaimed. 'I have to hand it to you, that was pretty clever, sneaking up on me. Maybe you could be useful in the future. I _ have _ to tell the others about this. Well, we'll surely meet again, you two. C'mon, guys, we're going to the village. Leave the bags here, we'll rob some other idiot in that town.'

‘So you admit you stole my bags!’ Gideon shouted, but the men did not listen, disappearing between the trees without looking back.

 

\----------------------------------------

 

The duo watched the bush the gnomes had walked into for some time, not sure what to think of what just happened. They snapped out of it soon, though, Gideon rushing to his groceries that had been scattered all around the clearing and Pacifica making her way to the journal. Guess she had not really needed it other than knowing to look in the forest. Before closing the now slightly humid book, she read through the pages about gnomes.  _ Little men _ …  _ conversing with a deer head _ ... blah blah blah. Nothing truly interesting here. Especially not the " _ Weaknesses:  _ _ none _ _! _ " part.  Stuffing it away again, she walked towards the boy frantically gathering all his food, leaning down to pick up a can of meat. Soon, they seemed to have gathered everything Gideon had bought, even checking with the receipt twice. She wanted to ask why the boy was so terrified he would miss something, but suspected that would put him even more on edge, leaving the question for now.

They only spoke of the assault while making their way back to the town. 'Well, that sure was something, eh?' Gideon’s cheeks were still a little flushed from having his blood run to his head and then picking up escaped food in record time.

'Yeah, that was an... interesting encounter.'

'Were they really gnomes?' the boy asked, eyeing her sideways, gaze curious. 'I mean, I have never actually seen a magical creature in these woods before.'

'Well, at least they were real enough, judging from the pain in my stomach.’ She grimaced as another wave of pain emerged. ‘Now, whether they are gnomes and not just a product of human evolution gone wrong, I don't think we can know for sure.'

'Whatever they were, I do not want to see them again. Stealing people's stuff just like that. They're lucky I didn't do more to them.'

'You were tied up... in a tree... hanging  _ upside down _ ...' Pacifica deadpanned, 'I mean _ , of course _ I think you could have done something more than spitting at them or something.' She allowed the slightest hint of amusement to seep through her flat tone, indicating she was kidding him. Gideon shrugged. 'Well, I could have hit them if I wanted to.'

'Then why didn't you?'

'I thought I'd give you the chance to show off the knowledge of that journal.'

They both laughed quietly at their playful back-and-forth, but at the mention of the journal, the girl frowned. 'Yeah, there wasn't anything useful in there. Hopefully it is not just some weird, made-up story and these gnomes just coincidentally looked like the drawing inside.'

'Hey, don't judge a book by its cover. Or, its eleventh page, in this case. We can always try looking for some other creature in it to see whether its contents are genuine.'

'That would be fun!' Pacifica beamed, getting excited at the thought of having someone to share in her adventures. ‘We should exchange phone numbers so we can contact each other!’

At that, Gideon turned red and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, not meeting her eyes. ‘Actually, I don’t have a phone. My parents did not think it was necessary.’

‘Oh, well… give me your house number then?’

The boy hesitated, seemingly contemplating whether that was a good idea. Eventually, he seemed to reach a conclusion and a small smile crept on his face. ‘That’s fine, I guess. You can just call me if you feel up for adventuring. I work during the week, but maybe somewhere in the weekend is possible?’ 

‘Fine by me!’ Pacifica excitedly took out her phone and proceeded to add the number he gave her. She actually misspelled his name, having guessed it was written “Giddion”, but he corrected her with a chuckle. While looking at her screen, she also realized that they had had no reception in the forest, thus probably having missed several phone calls from her parents, seeing as they had been away for quite some time. She could not exactly tell her parents about this, though. 

This was going to stay a secret. Between Gideon and her.

The thought of keeping it secret excited her.

It took just a few more minutes before they reached the edge of the forest, talking and joking about nothing. Unfortunately, their time was cut short when an angry voice called out to them once they reached the town.

‘Pacifica! Where have you been? We’ve called you four times.’

The girl turned around and looked at her distressed parents. Guilt crept up in her, but she could not have exactly helped being late.

‘I’m sorry.’ She tried to show her most genuine expression of guilt. ‘I just met this boy, Gideon, and he showed me a little around town. I guess I was too distracted to notice my phone ringing.’

Her parents seemed to notice Gideon then, their faces suddenly lighting up and grabbing for his hand, shaking it vigorously. The boy looked at Pacifica in utter confusion, but she just smiled and shrugged. Better just accept it.

‘It’s  _ so _ nice to meet you, Gideon!’ her father smiled. ‘We hope you’ll keep taking care of our daughter.’

‘Dad!’ Pacifica exclaimed. ‘It sounds super weird if you say it like that!’ But the man and boy only laughed at that, relishing in her embarrassment, she suspected. Pouting, the girl turned her head away, but quickly looked back at Gideon again when the boy announced he needed to get home. 

‘Can’t have the ice cream melting,’ he said, smiling bitterly while looking at one of the bags. He probably realized that while they may have saved the groceries, not everything had come out completely unscathed. Then he looked up again. 

‘Just call me when you need something, I’d be more than happy to show you around town. Oh, but don’t call this evening, we’ll be going to the Tent of Telepathy then.’ 

‘Tent of Telepathy… Tent of Telepathy…’ her mother tapped her chin in though. ‘Oh!’ she snapped her fingers as her eyes lit up in recognition. ‘Wasn’t that name on the poster for that show we saw? Why we decided to spend some time here.’

‘Ah, yes,’ Gideon nodded in confirmation. ‘The  _ Gleeful Show of Wonders _ . It’s a magic show that’s become quite famous around these parts. The tricks are so wonderful it’s difficult to believe they’re just  _ tricks _ . You should really go there sometime!’

‘That sounds like a great idea,’ her mother turned to her family. ‘Why don’t we also go this evening? Then we can all sit together and maybe even go to a cafe afterwards.’

Gideon fidgeted uncomfortably at the mention of the two families going together, but it went unnoticed by the Southeasts. Instead, he smiled and nodded. ‘Yeah, that sounds good.’ He turned around and waved, ‘I’ll be going home now, but see you tonight, then!’

‘See you!’

Pacifica and her parents watched the boy as he strolled down the road, almost tripping on a loose tile. She hardly heard her parents talking about how nice Gideon was, but she subconsciously agreed. While their meeting may have been rather unusual, that was what she had been looking for. A strange journal, a promise to go exploring and some magical show. It all fit right in her alley of interest. She may not have known exactly what to expect of the town -- heck, she  _ still _ did not know what this place was -- but it seemed exciting enough.

Yeah, she would have fun here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The two heroes finally meet each other! Yay!   
> Anyways, the first real chapter is done now. I am not entirely happy with how it turned out, so I will try improving my writing style as the story progresses. Also, I'll try posting every other week, but I can't promise anything yet.  
> Thanks if you decided to give this story a try ^^


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